Finish the Fight! Vernon in the Great War Exhibition Opening

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. To commemorate the efforts of Vernon citizens who contributed to bringing the war to a victorious end, Greater Vernon Museum & Archives (GVMA) Curatorial Assistant, Jesslyn Jarvis, with the assistance of Gwyneth Evans, Curatorial Intern, and many dedicated volunteers, have brought Finish the Fight! Vernon in the Great War exhibition to life. Over 700 men from the Vernon area volunteered for active service overseas, representing 20 percent of the city’s population at the time. The majority trained at Camp Vernon, now the Vernon Cadet Training Centre. On the home front, men, women, and children donated time, money, and materials to the war effort, and took up jobs vacated by the soldiers. Within the city, ‘enemy aliens’ were interned in one of the largest internment camps in Canada, located at the site of W.L Seaton Secondary School. A central piece to the wartime display will be a digital slide show that volunteer and GVMA board member, Francois Arseneault, created with still photos set to music. The public opening for the exhibit will take place at the Greater Vernon Museum & Archives on Thursday October 4th, from 7pm-9pm. We are hoping to have a piper and possibly even a bugler involved in the opening celebrations. Plus, free admission, desserts and refreshments! Not to worry, if you cannot make the opening, the Finish the Fight! Vernon in the Great War exhibit will run from October 4th, 2018 until March 30th, 2019. Museum admission is by donation. For more information, please contact the museum at 250-542-3142, visit www.vernonmuseum.ca or find us on Facebook.